EP1309413B1

EP1309413B1 - Draw aligner for vehicles

Info

Publication number: EP1309413B1
Application number: EP01958749A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sivert Stenkvist; Juhani Marttin; Peter Henblad; Lars Erik Nilsson
Original assignee: Car O Liner AB
Current assignee: Car O Liner AB
Priority date: 2000-08-08
Filing date: 2001-08-07
Publication date: 2005-10-12
Anticipated expiration: 2021-08-07
Also published as: ATE306336T1; DE60114021D1; CN1446131A; SE520770C2; AU2001280370A1; ES2251499T3; CN1219607C; DE60114021T2; EP1309413A1; WO2002011918A1; SE0002847D0; HK1055916A1; SE0002847L

Abstract

Device for straightening vechicles, comprising a lifting table (1) and a tensile straightening appliance (11) that can be coupled to the lifting table. The tensile straightening appliance is designed after coupling to the lifting table to be involved in the movements thereof, and comprises elements (12, 13) for generating a tensile force in a tensile element intended to be coupled to the desired part of a vechicle clamped to the lifting table. The lifting table (1) and the tensile straightening appliance (11) are designed with interacting coupling elements (20), which are designed to allow the tensile straightening applicance (11), after coupling to the lifting table (1), to be swivelled essentially in the plane of the lifting table relative to a longitudinal axis of the latter. The invention also relates to a lifting table and a tensile straightening appliances intended for use in a device for straightening vehicles.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a device for straightening vehicles, comprising a lifting table and a tensile straightening appliance, which can be coupled to the lifting table and which after coupling to the lifting table is designed to be involved in the movements thereof, and comprises elements for generating a tensile force in a tensile element intended to be coupled to the desired part of a vehicle clamped to the lifting table.

The invention also relates to a lifting table and a tensile straightening appliance intended for use in a device for straightening vehicles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Straightening devices of the aforementioned type comprising a lifting table and a tensile straightening appliance are used for the straightening of vehicle chassis and bodies. The tensile straightening appliance has an upright tensile arm, which when the tensile straightening appliance is connected to the lifting table can be swivelled away from the table, generally under the action of a hydraulic cylinder. By means of a chain that is placed around the tensile arm and fixed at the desired point on the vehicle, a straightening tensile force can then be applied to the vehicle. In order that the tensile force should have the desired orientation relative to the vehicle, it must be possible to swivel the part of the tensile straightening appliance that supports the tensile arm sideways in relation to the straightening table. It should also be possible to tilt the tensile arm in relation to the table.

In order to permit different angles of application of the tensile force, known tensile straightening appliances are designed with a joint, which can be incrementally adjusted to different angles. Consequently no continuous angular adjustment of the joint is possible and the joint must be designed to be capable of absorbing very large forces.

Known tensile straightening appliances are furthermore usually clamped to a side edge of the table, which is thereby exposed to large forces. This means that the table has to be designed with torsionally rigid edge sections, which increases the cost of manufacture and makes the table heavy and unwieldy. One example of a prior art straightening appliance is disclosed in EP-A-0 065 942.

It is also a problem to design a table with hydraulically actuated pairs of scissor legs thin enough to allow it, when located on the floor, to be driven over, that is to say straddled, by a modern passenger car. The table may therefore have to be located in a recess in the floor, which means that it must be confined to a particular location. Many different types of more or less complex auxiliary starting mechanisms have been proposed in order to reduce the overall height of the table, the objects of which are to create sufficiently large force application angles for the lifting movement of the hydraulic cylinder when starting to raise the table.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to produce a device for straightening vehicles, which among other things eliminates or reduces the above-mentioned problem and disadvantages of known devices.

A second object is to produce a straightening table and a tensile straightening appliance that can form part of such a device.

According to the invention the aforementioned primary object is achieved by means of a device, which is designed so that the tensile straightening appliance can be coupled to the lifting table, so that it can swivel and assume the desired angles relative to the table. The need for the tensile straightening appliance to incorporate an articulated joint is thereby eliminated.

Furthermore, the tensile straightening appliance can thereby be clamped to the centre of an end section of the lifting table suitably defined by a circular arc, which means that the stresses acting on the edge sections of the table are reduced.

This in conjunction with a new, very simple auxiliary starting mechanism for the table's pairs of scissor legs enables the table to be designed with a very low overall height, so that it is possible to drive a passenger car over it without having to recess it in the floor.

EP-A-0 269 538 discloses a straightening appliance which can be mounted to a lifting table to be involved in the movements thereof and swivelable relative thereto in a plane parallel to the plane of the lifting table. Mounting of the appliance to the lifting table is however a relatively complicated and time-consuming task. Further, the lifting table has to be provided with a separately mounted outwardly extending arc-shaped rail, and it has a height which does not allow a car to pass if the lifting table is not recessed in the floor.

The particular characteristic features of an improved device for straightening vehicles according to the present invention are defined in claims.

Further characteristics of a device according to the invention and of a lifting table and a tensile straightening appliance that can be employed in such a device are set out in the claims below.

The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings attached.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Fig. 1A and 1B show two views of a lifting table according to the invention resting on a level surface with support arms folded in.

Fig. 2 shows a view corresponding to Fig. 1A with support arms folded out.

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a tensile straightening appliance according to the invention.

Fig. 4 shows the two main parts of the tensile straightening appliance separated from one another.

Fig. 5 shows details of the front beam-shaped part of the tensile straightening appliance.

Fig. 6 and 7 show the tensile straightening appliance in two positions during coupling to a lifting table.

Fig. 8A, 8B and 8C illustrate the coupling elements of the tensile straightening appliance and the lifting table at different stages during coupling.

Fig. 9 shows the tensile straightening appliance coupled to the lifting table, which is in an upper position.

Fig. 10 illustrates how the tensile straightening appliance can be swivelled in relation to the front end of the lifting table, when the table is raised.

Fig. 11A and 11B illustrate how the tensile straightening appliance can be swivelled and tilted in relation to the lifting table.

Fig. 12 is a detailed view of an auxiliary starting mechanism for the lifting table scissor legs.

Fig. 13, 14 and 15 illustrate the auxiliary starting mechanism according to Fig. 12 in different positions during raising of the table.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Fig 1A and 1B show a lifting table 1 according to the invention situated on a level surface and with scissor legs folded in, the latter there being hidden by the table part 2. In the case of a table according to the invention the table part 2 may take the form of a sheet metal structure of bent and welded plates with a downturned edging plate 3, which defines an internal enclosed space for the table's pairs of scissor legs.

The table according to the invention may have a height of little more than 100 mm, which means that it can be driven over, that is to say straddled, even by modern passenger cars, without the chassis scraping against the table. 4 denotes support arms, displaceable along the longitudinal edges of the table, which can be swivelled in and out in order to allow the table, when in the retracted position shown in Fig. 1A and 1B, to be straddled by a passenger car. The arms 4 are designed with slide shoes 5, which can be displaced along respective edge plates 3, which have a somewhat lower height than the overall thickness of the table. This means that the support arms 4 with their slide shoes 5 do not project above the upper plane of the table.

Fig. 2 shows the table according to Fig. 1A and 1B with the displaceable support arms in the outer position.

The lifting arms 4 are designed with support elements 6, which are intended to interact with support points on the vehicle. The support elements 6 are displaceable in slits 7 in the support arms 4 and can be raised and lowered in relation to the latter. The positions of the support elements 6 are therefore fully adjustable according to requirements for interaction with the intended support points on a vehicle.

One end part 8 of the lifting table 1 is defined by a circular arc-shaped edging plate 9, which part on the underside is designed with an essentially T-shaped slot 10 from the edging plate 9 to the centre of the circular arc. The said slot is used when coupling the table to a tensile straightening appliance, as will be described in more detail below.

Fig. 3 shows a tensile straightening appliance 11 with a tensile arm 13 that can be actuated by a hydraulic cylinder 12. The tensile arm 13 can be swivelled about an axis 14 and is supported by a rear beam-shaped part 15.

The part 15 with the arm 13 can be rotated in relation to the front beam 16 of the tensile straightening appliance, the said beam for this purpose being designed with a drum-like device 17, in which a cylindrical part 18, see Fig. 4, of the rear beam 15 can be rotated. The tensile straightening appliance is provided with a pair of wheels 19 in order to facilitate manoeuvring thereof when coupling to a lifting table.

The front beam 16 is provided with a coupling pin 20, a fixing boss 21, which can be acted upon by means of a wedge 22, and a guide shoe 23. The fact that the rear beam 14 is rotatable in relation to the front beam 16 means that the tensile arm 13 can be tilted sideways in the desired position.

As will be seen from Fig. 4, a torsion spring 24 runs between the

beams

15 and 16. In the example shown the torsion spring consists of a number of flat bars of spring steel arranged one on top of the other, which are torsionally fixed to the two beams. The torsion spring 24 is designed so that it balances out the torque generated by the weight of the tensile arm 13 when this is tilted. The tensile arm 13 can thus be adjusted continuously to the desired tilt angle without the need for locking in predetermined positions by means of cotters or the like. The spring 24 shown can be replaced by some other type of torsion spring or the equivalent.

According to the above, the beam 16 of the tensile straightening appliance 4. is provided with a fixed coupling pin 20 and a fixed guide shoe 23. The boss 21 is fitted to a bar 25 running in the beam 16, see Fig. 5, which by means of the wedge 22 can be displaced rearwards for clamping a plate, projecting downwards from the lifting table, between the boss 21 and the vertical part of the guide shoe 23.

Fig. 6 illustrates how the tensile straightening appliance is fitted to the lifting table, by inserting the coupling pin 20 of the tensile straightening appliance into the slot 10 in the lifting table when the table is in the lowered position on the floor.

Fig. 7 shows the tensile straightening appliance in the position when the coupling pin 20 is fully inserted into the slot, the slide shoe 23 of the tensile straightening appliance being situated very close to the circular arc-shaped edging plate 9 of the lifting table. The upper horizontal part of the guide shoe 23 then extends in over the edging plate 9. In this position the tensile straightening appliance can be swivelled sideways into the desired position in order to obtain the correct tensile angle between the tensile arm 13 and a vehicle clamped on the lifting table. When the desired angular position is attained the wedge 22 is driven in, the fixing boss 21, see Fig. 5, pressing the edging plate 9 tight against the vertical part of the guide shoe 23. The tensile straightening appliance is hereby locked to the table in the angular position assumed.

Fig. 8A, 8B and 8C show the circular arc-shaped edging plate 9 with the T-shaped slot 10 extending therefrom to the centre of the circular arc, viewed from beneath. The inner end of the slot runs in under a seat having a circular boundary wall 30. In the boundary wall 30 there is an opening 31 with a width smaller than the diameter of the circle made in line with the slot 10.

The coupling pin 20 arranged on the beam 16 is shown separated from the beam and viewed from beneath. The pin has an upper enlarged section 33 with a diameter essentially corresponding to the widest part of the T-shaped slot, and a lower part 32 of elongate shape connected to the beam 16. The width of the part 32 is at the same time somewhat narrower than the narrowest part of the T-shaped slot and even narrower than the opening 31 in the wall 30 of the seat. The pin 20 can thus be introduced into the slot 10, as illustrated in. Fig. 8B, when the tensile straightening appliance 1 is to be coupled to the lifting table, see Fig. 6.

The elongate part 32 of the pin 20 has a length greater than the width of the opening 31 in the wall 30 of the seat. This means, see Fig. 8C, that after rotation in the seat, the pin 20 cannot be drawn back out in the slot 10. Once the tensile straightening appliance is introduced into the slot 10 and is swivelled sideways in relation to the table, it can therefore not be pulled out again without first having been swivelled back into a position in line with the slot 10.

The slot 10 need not run in the longitudinal direction of the lifting table but may also be aligned, at 90° for example, to one side or the other.

Fig. 9 and 10 show the lifting table raised by means of two pairs of

scissor legs

35 and 36, of which the bottom ends of the legs 35 are pivoted to a base plate 37 while the bottom ends of the legs 36 are displaceable over the base plate in a guide 38. The upper ends of the legs 35 are correspondingly displaceable along the underside of the table part 2 while the upper ends of the legs 36 are pivotably fixed to the table part 2. The table is raised by means of two hydraulic cylinders 39, which are respectively pivoted to the base plate 37 and to an auxiliary starting mechanism 40 interacting with the pair of legs 36, the mechanism being described in more detail below in connection with figures 12 to 15.

As will be seen from Fig. 9 and 10, the tensile straightening appliance 11 accompanies the table 2 when the latter is raised. In Fig. 10 the tensile straightening appliance 11 has been swivelled sideways in relation to the table 2, so that it cannot be accidentally detached from the table.

When the table is in the position shown in Fig. 9 and 10 there is normally a car clamped thereto. No car has been drawn in, however, so as not to complicate the drawing unnecessarily. The car is clamped to the table 2 by means of a number of fastening arms 41, displaceable along the table, of which only two such arms have been shown in Fig. 9. The arms are provided with fastening clamps 42, by means of which the vehicle (not shown) can be clamped to the arms 41. This can be done by entirely conventional means and will not be described further here. One advantage with a table according to the invention, however, is that the fastening arms 41 can be hooked fast to the side edges of the table afterwards, that is to say this can be done once the table with the vehicle has been raised to the desired working height, which facilitates the clamping work.

Fig. 11A and 11B correspond to Fig. 10, but the tensile arm 13 has been tilted to one side. The facility shown for tilting the tensile arm together with the ability of the tensile straightening appliance to swivel along the circular arc-shaped end edge 8 of the table means that a chain placed around the tensile arm 13 can be adjusted to the desired tensile direction.

As will be seen from Fig. 12 to 15, an auxiliary starting mechanism 40 according to the present invention comprises two pairs of

guide arms

45, 46, which at one of their ends, the free end, can swivel in relation to one another about a common axis 47. The other ends of the guide arms 45 in the one pair are each rotatable about their first fixing point 48 on associated scissor legs 36, while the other ends of the guide arms 46 in the other pair are rotatable and displaceable relative to their other fixing point 49 on the same scissor legs. For this purpose the arms 46 are designed with a longitudinal slit 50.

Fig. 13, 14 and 15 show the scissor legs and the auxiliary starting mechanism at different stages. In Fig. 15 the lifting table scissor legs are folded up, the table being entirely flat. The

guide arms

45 and 46 are then essentially in line with one another and form a small angle α with the base plate 37. The hydraulic cylinders 39 can also form a small angle β to the base plate.

When the cylinders 39 are actuated they will therefore initially act on the underside of the table 2 and raise this whilst at the same time swivelling the

guide arms

45 and 46 relative to one another and bringing the scissor legs with them, see Fig. 14. The fixing point 49 will then run in the slit 50 and reach the position shown in Fig. 13. The hydraulic cylinders will then complete the raising of the table without the auxiliary starting mechanism 40 resulting in any disadvantage for the lifting movement.

The function of the guide arms 46 is to arrest the rotational movement of the arms 45 in the position shown in Fig. 13. The arms 46 can thus be replaced by some other stop element, such as a stop boss on each scissor leg 36, which interacts with the associated guide arm 45.

When lowering the table the table's own weight will fold the scissor legs together and will push the piston rod into the cylinder 39 until the position shown in Fig. 15 has been reached again. In this position the table may have a height of little more than 100 mm. The use of two parallel hydraulic cylinders means that the area of each cylinder can be kept small, so as not to adversely affect the overall height. Furthermore, two hydraulic cylinders provide a double safeguard, for which reason no additional descent lock need be fitted. It is also possible, however, to use only one hydraulic cylinder.

Claims

A device for straightening vehicles, comprising a lifting table (1) and a tensile straightening appliance (11), which can be coupled to the lifting table and which is intended after coupling to the lifting table to be involved in the movements thereof and swivelable relative thereto in a plane that is essentially parallel to the plane of the lifting table about an axis of articulation defined by the interacting coupling elements (20, 30), and which device further comprises elements (12, 13) for generating a tensile force in a tensile element intended to be coupled to the desired part of a vehicle clamped to the lifting table, characterized in that the lifting table (1) and the tensile straightening appliance (11) are designed with interacting coupling elements (20, 30) permitting the tensile straightening appliance to be easily detachably coupled to the lifting table without the use of any loose mounting means, in that the coupling elements comprise a seat with an essentially circular boundary wall (30) having an opening (31) in the wall with a width smaller than the diameter of the seat, and a coupling pin (20) intended for interaction with the seat and having an elongate cross-section (32), the width of which is smaller than the opening (31) in the boundary wall (30) of said seat, but the length of which is greater than the width of the opening (31) in the boundary wall of the seat but shorter than the diameter of the seat, and in that the end (8) of the lifting table (1) interacting with the tensile straightening appliance (11) has a circular arc-shaped end edge (9), and in that the tensile straightening appliance can be pivoted at the centre of the circular arc.
The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the tensile straightening appliance (11) is designed with a beam (16), which extends on the underside of the lifting table (1) up to a coupling element (30) situated at the said centre.
The device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the said coupling element (30) on the underside of the lifting table comprises a seat open at the bottom with an essentially circular cylindrical boundary wall, that an essentially T-shaped guide slot (10) open at the bottom runs from the edge surface (9) of the lifting table and in under the seat, that the circular cylindrical boundary wall of the seat has an opening (31) with a width smaller than the diameter of the seat, that the beam (16) of the tensile straightening appliance is designed with an upwardly projecting coupling pin (20) intended for interaction with the said guide slot (10) and seat, with an upper part (33) having a cross-section that is greater than the diameter of the said seat and greater than the width of the open part of the said T-shaped slot (10) and a bottom, elongate part (32), the width of which is smaller than the opening (31) in the boundary wall of the said seat and smaller than the width of the open part of the said T-shaped slot (10), but the length of which is greater than the width of the opening (31) in the boundary wall of the seat but shorter than the diameter of the seat.
The device as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the beam (16) of the tensile straightening appliance is designed with an upwardly projecting guide shoe (23) having an engagement surface, which is designed to run on the upper side of the circular arc-shaped end edge (8) of the lifting table (1).
A lifting table intended for use in a device for straightening vehicles, which device also comprises a tensile straightening appliance (11), which can be coupled to the lifting table and is designed after coupling to the lifting table (1) to be involved in the movements thereof and swivelable relative thereto in a plane that is essentially parallel to the plane of the lifting table about an axis of articulation defined by the interacting coupling elements (20, 30), and which device further comprises elements (12, 13) for generating a tensile force in a tensile element intended to be coupled to the desired part of a vehicle clamped to the lifting table, characterized in that the lifting table (1) is designed with a coupling element (30) on its underside, designed as part of a joint and intended to be easily detachably coupled to an interacting coupling element (20) arranged on a tensile straightening appliance (11), that the coupling element (30) on the underside of the lifting table (1) comprises a seat open at the bottom with an essentially circular cylindrical boundary wall, that an essentially T-shaped slot (10) open at the bottom runs from the edge surface (9) of the lifting table and in under the seat, that the circular cylindrical boundary wall of the seat has an opening (31) with a width smaller than the diameter of the seat, that the said guide slot (10) and seat are designed to be capable of interacting with a coupling pin (20) projecting upwards from a beam (16) of the tensile straightening appliance, the pin having a shape adapted to the slot and the seat, that one end of the lifting table (1) has a circular arc-shaped end edge (8), and that the said coupling elements (30) intended to be coupled to a tensile straightening appliance (11) are situated at the centre of the circular arc.
The lifting table as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the table (1) is provided along two opposing edges with inwardly and outwardly swivellable support arms (4) for a vehicle that is to be raised by the table, and that the support arms are displaceable along each edge of the table.
The lifting table as claimed in claim 5 or 6, comprising two pairs of scissor legs (35, 36), which at their ends are articulated and/or slide-connected to a lower base part (37) and a table part (12) that can be raised and lowered in relation thereto, and which can be actuated by means of at least one piston-cylinder unit (39), characterized in that each leg (36) in the one pair of scissor legs is provided with two guide arms (45, 46), which at one of their ends are free and capable of rotating about a common axis of rotation (47), that the other end of one guide arm (45) is rotatable about a first fixing point (48) on the associated scissor leg (36), that the other end of the second guide arm (46) is rotatable and displaceable in relation to a second fixing point (49) on the same scissor leg (36), that the fixing points (48, 49) are so situated that with the scissor legs in the folded position the guide arms (45, 46) will be situated essentially in line with one another, forming a small angle with the base part (37), and that the piston-cylinder unit (39) is articulated between the base part and the common axis of rotation (47) of the guide arms.
A tensile straightening appliance intended for use in a device for straightening vehicles, which device also comprises a lifting table (1) that can be coupled to the tensile straightening appliance (11), the tensile straightening appliance comprising elements (12, 13) for generating a tensile force in a tensile element intended to be coupled to the desired part of a vehicle clamped to a lifting table, characterized in that the tensile straightening appliance (11) is designed with a coupling element (20), designed as part of a joint and intended to be coupled to an interacting coupling element (30) arranged on a lifting table (1), so that after coupling to the lifting table the tensile straightening appliance can be swivelled relative thereto in a plane that is essentially parallel to the plane of the lifting table about an axis of articulation defined by the interacting coupling elements (20, 30), in that the said coupling element (20) arranged on a beam (16) of the tensile straightening appliance comprises an upwardly projecting coupling pin having an upper and a lower part, that the lower part (32) is elongate and has a width which is smaller than the corresponding dimension of the upper part (33), and that the said pin is designed to be capable of interacting with a coupling element (30) situated on the underside of the lifting table (1), and in that said beam (16) of the tensile straightening appliance (11) is designed to extend on the underside of one end (8) of a lifting table (1) having a circular arc-shaped end edge (9) up to a coupling element (30) on the lifting table situated at the centre of the circular arc.
The tensile straightening appliance as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the beam (16) of the tensile straightening appliance is designed with an upwardly projecting guide shoe (23) having an engagement surface, which is designed to run on the upper side of the circular arc-shaped end edge (9) of the lifting table.
The tensile straightening appliance as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the beam (16) of the tensile straightening appliance is designed with a boss (21), which is situated at a short distance from the guide shoe (23) and is intended to be displaceable towards the guide shoe so as to clamp a plate projecting downwards from a lifting table, to which the tensile straightening appliance is coupled, between it and the guide shoe.
The tensile straightening appliance as claimed in any of claims 8 to 10, comprising a tensile arm (13), which projects upwards from a rear part (15) of the tensile straightening appliance (11) and is actuated by means of a hydraulic cylinder (12), characterized in that the said rear part (15) of the tensile straightening appliance is rotatable relative to the front beam (16), intended for coupling to a lifting table (1), in order to permit tilting of the tensile arm (13) in relation to the lifting table.
The tensile straightening appliance as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the rear part (15) of the tensile straightening appliance is connected to the front beam (16) by way of a torsion spring (24), which essentially balances the weight of the tensile arm (13) when tilting the latter.
The tensile straightening appliance as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the said torsion spring (24) consists of at least one elongated flat bar of spring steel, which is torsionally fixed to the said rear part (15) and to the said beam (16) respectively.